US energy experts have combined the well known principle that a cat thrown in the air will always land with its feet firmly planted on the ground; with the phenomenon that when toast with peanut butter is dropped, it will always land with the peanut butter side stuck to the carpet, to create a radical power generation system.

‘By attaching peanut butter toast to the back of a cat, one can leverage these two principles to create a pet that spins perpetually,’ explained a Whitehouse spokesman. ‘When thrown in the air the cat and peanut butter engage in an endless struggle to oppose each other. Since neither principle can be violated, the cat spins incessantly as it hovers inches above the ground. Kinetic generators are then attached to the feline via special axles.’

The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from animal rights campaigners, as well as a large section of the American public who prefer Jell-O.